`Abd
al-Raĥmān Ibn Muĥammad `Awađ
al-Jazīrī

`Abd
al-Raĥmān Ibn Muĥammad `Awađ
al-Jazīrī was born on the Egyptian island of Shandawīl in 1882 (1299 AH) and
was educated at al-Azhar from 1896-1909; he later became a teacher at al-Azhar.
In 1912, al-Jazīrī was appointed inspector for the Ministry of Religious
Endowment's Department of Mosques, after which he was promoted to the
Ministry's chief inspector. He was subsequently appointed as a professor in
al-Azhar's College of the Principles of Religion, and before his death in
Ĥulwān in 1941 (1360 AH), al-Jazīrī became a member of al-Azhar's Committee of
Senior Scholars.

Al-Jazīrī's writings include:

Al-Fiqh `Alā al-Madhāhib al-Arba`ah
("Islamic Jurisprudence According to the Four Orthodox Schools") in four
volumes (Volume I was composed jointly by al-Jazīrī and a committee of
scholars, while the remaining volumes were composed by al-Jazīrī alone);

Islamic
Jurisprudence According to the Four Orthodox Schoolsdeals with
the forms of worship (`ibadat), this work offers an in-depth discussion
of ritual purity (taharah), ritual prayers (salat), including
funeral prayers and the practice of visiting the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh), fasting (siyam), spiritual retreats (`itikaf), charity (zakât),
the pilgrimage to Mecca (both 'al-hajj'
and 'al-`umrah'), and the offering of animal sacrifices.

Unlike previous works on
Islamic law, which offer a medieval perspective, Islamic JurisprudenceAccording to the Four Orthodox Schools is unique in providing the four
legal views of `ibadah, according to the interpretations of more recent
traditionalists, trained at al-Azhar University. It is a valuable and detailed
reference work for those interested in Islam, Islamic law, or comparative law
and contains a glossary of Islamic terminology. This is a must for academic
libraries as well as for private individuals who want to learn more about the
performance of religious duties.

Tawđīĥ al-`Aqā'id
("Clarification of Doctrines") on the science of monotheism; Al-Akhlāq al-Dīniyah
wal-Ĥikam al-Shar`iyah
("Religious Ethics and the Manifestations of Wisdom in the Islamic Law");

Adillat al-Yaqīn ("Proofs of Certainty")
in response to certain Christian evangelists; and